The Cardinals continue to dominate extra innings

The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten off to quite the start in 2026. Of their first 7 series, five have gone in favor of The Lou. 

Through the team’s first 21 games, the Redbirds own a 13-8 record. In 2025, St. Louis didn’t register their 10th win until 24 games into the season. 

After a sweep of the sputtering Astros, St. Louis is marching onwards with a five-game win streak. 

Two-Out Magic

In the series finale, Houston trotted out starting pitcher Mike Burrows. So far, Burrows has struggled with command issues, like much of the Houston staff. 

He danced around the Cardinal lineup mercilessly in the early going, setting down the first 14 batters in a row. After the 14th straight out, the Cardinal offense reloaded and erupted for a four-run fifth. All of the damage in the inning was done with two outs. 

Houston tied the scoring at four in the eighth inning, and fans were treated to bonus baseball. 

Hollywood Hitters

One thing this developing Cardinals team isn’t scared of is the big moment. Masyn Winn’s bases-clearing double in the 10th inning clinched the Cardinals' fifth extra-inning win of the season. As it stands, the birds on the bat are undefeated when games go past the ninth. 

Another encouraging stat about this young and dumb Cardinal roster is their ability to boatrace the opponent. St. Louis is 8-0 when they score first. No other team in the league comes close in said department. 

Special Teams in Baseball

The Redbirds are scrappy. How do you win extra-inning games so consistently, you might ask? On the margins. The Cardinals have played the best defense in baseball through the first 21 games. Rookie sensation JJ Wetherholt leads all of MLB in outs above average, and former defensive liability Nolan Gorman has retooled and become efficient at the hot corner. 

In a postgame interview early in the year, Wetherholt simply stated, “We really play for each other.” The selflessness in the Cardinal lineup has been second to none.

The Cardinals also excel on the basepaths. Although they’re middle of the pack in stolen bases, they always find a way to take the extra base on balls in play. Cutting the bag is no issue for these birds and their blazing speed. 

In the first season of an organizational reset, it’s clear the Cardinals have a different culture than in recent years. We're closer to 'Whiteyball' (a style of play made famous by legendary manager Whitey Herzog) than the slugging antics that last shone through in 2022.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow